The invention relates to a semiconductor component having a component which is concomitantly integrated into the semiconductor body of the semiconductor component and the temperature-dependent behavior of which is evaluated externally to the semiconductor component.
During the operation of semiconductor components, the power loss that always occurs leads to the heating of the semiconductor component. This heating is the greater, the more power is converted in the semiconductor component. Power transistors are one example of this. Power transistors are transistors which enable large current and voltage amplitudes and are therefore suitable for the direct operation of loads having a high power consumption. Power transistors are used, for example, in output stages and switching stages for industrial electronics and automotive engineering.
In this case the temperature of a semiconductor component represents an essential factor for the functionality of the component. An overtemperature of the semiconductor component produced, for example, as a result of a higher ambient temperature or as a result of malfunction, such as, for instance, short circuit of loads, can lead to damage or destruction of the semiconductor component and furthermore also to impairment or even destruction of the load. By way of example, the maximum permissible junction temperature is approximately 175 to 200 degrees Celsius in the case of silicon-based transistors or approximately 75 to 90 degrees Celsius in the case of germanium-based transistors. The respective semiconductor component is destroyed as a result of the temperature range being exceeded. It is essential, therefore, for a possible overtemperature of semiconductor components to be detected reliably and in timely fashion in order to be able to implement suitable measures such as, for example, turning off the semiconductor component or the load before critical temperature values are reached, and thus before the damage limit.